


Coming Clean

by litmilkovich



Series: Double Trouble [1]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Coming Out, Multi, homophobic slur, idk what this is tbh, this is the first of it's series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-20
Updated: 2017-05-20
Packaged: 2018-11-02 20:04:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10951743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/litmilkovich/pseuds/litmilkovich
Summary: Mickey comes out to his twin brother, Noel.





	Coming Clean

**Author's Note:**

> Heyyo! This is the first of an ongoing series in which Mickey and Noel are twin brothers. Enjoy!

Noel loved his big brother. Well— he was only older by _five minutes_ , but it was a factoid he'd never live down. He and Mickey were the two Milkovich brothers who were closest, which was odd; considering Milkovich's didn't  _do_ close. Noel is different from his family, always has been. He'd always been much quieter, less angry, overall; just a Milkovich by name.

He was doodling in his math notebook when Mickey came into their shared room, looking uncharacteristically sheepish and small. At the ripe age of sixteen, Noel didn't think he ever saw Mickey look so.. dejected.

"What's up?" He murmured, glancing up from where his math work.

"You got any smokes?" Mickey grumbled, eyes glued to the carpet with the occasional flick of his gaze switching to Noel.

"Mick, you know I quit," he rolled his eyes and returned to his notebook.

Mickey stormed out but soon reappeared, lighting his cigarette with shaky hands.

"Dude— you alright? Look like you're tweaking or something," he noted, putting his school work away and sitting up in his bed.

"I gotta talk to you about somethin'," he grunted and plopped down next to his twin after kicking the door shut.

This startled Noel, because, well— Mickey didn't _do_ talking. No one in their family did. It was a "suck it up and deal" mentality. Noel managed, but he preferred to not fester in his feelings, especially not in this hellhole. He usually confided in his girlfriend Layla; a pretty Northside girl who was doing outreach on the Southside with her school when the two of them met. She'd even managed to be in Mickey's good graces, which was a plus. She always bought him smokes and beef jerky.

" _Okay_ ," Noel drew out the word, knocking his shoulder against Mickey. "What's on your mind?" He said with only a hint of concern in his tone.

"You know that Gallagher kid?" Mickey murmured, avoiding his gaze in favor of taking interest in the burning tip of his cigarette.

"Which one?" Noel asked seriously. He didn't really have an opinion on the Gallagher's other than what he'd heard around the town. They didn't have a good reputation, but no one really did around here. It mostly stemmed from the dad— Frank, if Noel remembered correctly. The kids usually kept to themselves, they had a good dynamic with the oldest at the lead of their little.. herd, or whatever you could call the Gallagher entourage.

"Red head," he said with frustrated gesticulation, taking a rough pull from his cigarette.

"Again.. which one?" Noel said patiently. He was pretty sure there were two.

"The boy," he gesticulated again, looking briefly annoyed before softening, "Ian," Mickey said quietly.

"Oh. Uh, yeah. I've seen him around school and stuff, don't really know him, though," he shrugged. "Pretty sure I've seen him around here with Mandy after school sometimes," he guessed, he was usually wrapped up in whatever extracurriculars he could manage to be in.

"You know he's queer?" Mickey piped up after a few beats of silence.

Noel blinked, "sure?" He said it like a question. He'd known, but it wasn't like Ian was loud about it. It wasn't safe in the city.

"How you feel about that? The whole—," Mickey gestured to the wide open of their bedroom, inhaling and exhaling his cigarette quickly. "Gay thing," he said quietly.

"Uh—," Noel blanched for a moment. "I don't really.. I mean— I don't really _care_ ," he said incredulously. He waited for Mickey to speak up, to do or say something, _anything_ , but it was radio silence for a solid thirty seconds. "Why?" He questioned.

There were few times Noel had seen Mickey show raw emotion that wasn't anger. In fact, he couldn't really recall there _ever_ being a time he'd seen Mickey express his feelings. He was incredibly startled to see Mickey press the heels of his palms against his closed eyes, wetness on his skin and his now blotchy cheeks when he pulled them away. He'd never seen Mickey cry, ever. Not even when they were little and he'd scrape his knee or lose a fight. He always had a stiff upper lip.

"Woah, what's—," Noel stuttered, eyes widening. He felt a wave of concern wash over him. Mickey could be a shit, but he was still his brother— his twin, after all.

"I think— I think I'm.." Mickey grit his teeth and stubbed his cigarette out angrily on the ashtray perched on the pile of garbage by the door; within reach from Noel's bed. He heard him mumble something along the lines of, "c'mon, fucking pussy." He saw his chest puff and deflate with a few breaths before he spoke up again.

"I'm gay," Mickey admitted quietly, eyes on his trembling hands before turning to face his twin, not yet making eye contact. "I'm gay— and, like.." he trailed off and wiped his eyes. "I'm with Ian," he murmured. "Like— boyfriends, or whatever faggy shit he calls it. No one knows but me and him, obviously, and now you.. I think Mandy thinks something's up, but—," he made eye contact now. "Wanted you to know," he said shyly.

Noel wished he could say he was shocked. He wasn't, not at all. From the nudie magazines under Mickey's bed collecting dust, to never ogling the occasional prostitute that came in and out of the Milkovich house for whatever reason, and the fact he never really brought any girls home. It just— he wasn't shocked. Hardly phased.

Mickey looked like he was waiting for a response, his eyebrows knit together in concern as he worried his bottom lip between his teeth.

"Mick," Noel sighed on a laugh. "I know," he shrugged and pat Mickey's back.

Mickey's eyebrows went from closed together in concern to high on his forehead in a flash, "fuck you mean, _you know?"_ He huffed, arms crossing over his chest.

Noel shrugged, "just kinda.. _knew_ ," he said simply. "It's not a bad thing, Mick. Could be the whole 'twin-telepathy' thing you tried convincing me was real when we were seven," he shrugged with a lilt of sarcasm. "Either way, I don't give a shit, man. You're still Mickey," he said sincerely.

That answer seemed to acquaintance Mickey, his eyebrows lowering back down to their normal spot.

"A'ight," he grunted and stood up, clearing his throat, the tears on his face dried up or wiped away by now.

Before he left their bedroom again, Noel piped up before he could shut the door. "I love you, Mick. Thanks for, yanno.." he trailed off and smiled. "Confiding in me."

Mickey raised an eyebrow but smiled nonetheless, "don't be a bitch about it," he quipped harmlessly. "Finish your math homework, nerd," he teased before shutting the door behind him.

Noel decidedly gained a little more respect for his _big brother_ that day.

**Author's Note:**

> It's short, but I plan on writing more. Feel free to leave feedback and ideas for next parts of this series!


End file.
